


Cracks In The Concrete

by AR_Stone



Category: Supergirl (TV 2015)
Genre: Anxiety Attacks, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/F, Lena Luthor Knows Kara Danvers Is Supergirl
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-04
Updated: 2021-02-07
Packaged: 2021-03-16 04:29:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,378
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29201370
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AR_Stone/pseuds/AR_Stone
Summary: Kara has an anxiety attackLena finds her
Relationships: Kara Danvers & Lena Luthor, Kara Danvers/Lena Luthor
Comments: 14
Kudos: 422





	1. Chapter 1

Sometimes, everything was just so damn _loud_. The world was too loud, and Kara would forget all those years she’d spent honing her senses to ignore it.

Perhaps not ignore, but focus. Focus herself on the smallest sounds and sights in front of her. She didn’t need to hear the baby crying exactly 16 miles to her left, or the screeching of brakes from cars stopping short on the poorly marked 4 way stop across town.

It was beyond overwhelming, her ears picking up every whisper in a 5 miles radius, and every scream from 30. People slurping the last of their drinks, eating chips mindlessly, small talk at the office, car horns blaring back and forth as a distracted and impatient driver cuts off 3 people in 2 lanes at once.

Kara had just been at lunch with Lena, when she’d completely lost her control over her hearing. Try as she might, she wasn’t getting any closer to having it under control again. If she could bleed, she’s sure her ears would’ve already started gushing by now.

They’d been on a lunch date, an actual date, because Lena had bucked up where neither Kara nor Supergirl could, and finally put an end to both their misery by asking Kara out a few weeks back. It was also how Kara had learned that Lena had worked it out herself about who Kara was, and she hadn’t been upset, not like Kara had thought she’d be. They’d had a few conversations about it of course, but Lena understood, smiling sweetly as Kara stumbled and awkwardly gestured through numerous apology-filled explanations.

And now, here she was, hand firmly embedded into the brick wall that was the back of the restaurant, dealing with the worst sensory overload – is this what brain freeze feels like? She’s never had one, Alex always looks so pained when she experienced it though – she’d had since the first 2 years she was on Earth.

Her glasses had fallen off of her face, and even if she had the presence of mind to be worried about her sad excuse of a disguise, the fact that she’d had newly molded brick in both hands now would’ve surely given her super-powered, alien-likeness away.

Opening her eyes – when had she closed them? – she looked up and, oh _Rao_ Kara could see through every building in front of her for 3 blocks, and wow, okay, not helping – x-ray vision is a bitch sometimes but _really_ now of all times? With each blink Kara now teetered between seeing through everything and seeing every spot and every indent in the bricks on the wall.

Kara fell to her knees, also an easy giveaway if anyone saw her, the knee caps of human don’t have the strength to create small craters in the ground, cement or not. It didn’t even register in her mind – not that hurt, Kara hardly ever experienced physical pain, not as Kara Danvers. Not against human, human creations.

She didn’t know why this was happening here, or now, hell, she didn’t know why this was happening _at all_.

What had she encountered recently to set her off this way? Was this another new form of Kryptonite? She’d already seen 2 besides the deadly green that burned her from the inside out if she was exposed to too much. It wasn’t a far stretch, alien technology had been weaponized before in so many ways, this could easily be another.

It was painful. Expanding her powers on purpose for long periods of time could be irritating for Kara. Even allowing her senses to extend to massive areas at once, even focusing for something specific, could cause Kara some discomfort. But now, with her sight going haywire, and her ears now far too sensitive to the entire city and then some, Kara was suffocating under the weight of it all.

Even her own blood was pumping too loud, and Kara could swear she could _feel_ the pulsing of her brain in her skull, desperately trying to keep up with the sensations presenting themselves to the kryptonian by the hundred in every 1 thousandth of a second.

Her head felt like it could melt at any moment. The sounds coming from 4 miles to her right were nauseating for an entirely different reason now. It was bad enough she was bombarded with everyone and their mother’s exhales. She certainly did _Not_ need to hear how ehem, _excited,_ some people were in the middle of the day, I mean seriously, it’s 1:34 in the afternoon on a Tuesday, surely people had things to be doing other than each–

“Kara!”

The sound of her name broke through her thoughts, and for a split second, the haze of her break down.

In the next second, Kara felt something on her face. When her vision finally evened out, Kara realized her glasses were now resting on her nose, and Lena had her hands on either side of Kara’s face.

Lena was saying something, Kara could tell because her lips were moving. But everything was so distorted, even with her eyes under control, Kara wasn’t able to focus enough to hear Lena.

She must’ve realized Kara wasn’t hearing her, because Lena pulled at one of Kara’s hands until she was holding it. With her fingers, Lena was pressing into the pulse in her wrist, still pulling Kara’s hand. The pressure on her wrist allowed Kara enough control to let Lena control the movement of her arm, and the next thing she knew, Kara felt another beat on her palm.

Except this time, it wasn’t Lena’s fingers. Kara’s palm was resting on Lena’s heart, Lena must’ve guided it there, and now Kara could feel it, even if she wasn’t hearing it.

For a few moments, all Kara did was stare at her hand that was covering Lena’s heart. Desperately trying to focus on the pulse she could feel. She started counting it, like Jeremiah had taught her, and how Alex had helped her before. By 14, she could faintly register the soft thump of Lena’s heartbeat. In other 10 beats, she’d honed in on it, and now she could hear something else.

Slowly, the sound of Lena’s melodic voice filled the air.

Kara looked up then. Green eyes greeted her, filled with concern, and something else Kara couldn’t place at the moment. Lena was still speaking, softer now, as it was clear Kara could hear her now.

“Just breath, darling. Breath with me, in,” Lena paused as she held the air in her lungs, watching as Kara now followed her instructions. Two seconds passed before Lena let them breath out, and she herself sighed in relief at the drop of Kara’s shoulders. The tension that had been coiled around Kara’s being had cooled dramatically.

“Kara, hey,” Lena was looking so softly at Kara, she could cry. Clearly, she was a mess, breaking her surroundings with her hands and knees, tousled hair from clawing at her head and ears, face red with the exertion of it all.

“Darling, look at me, you’re okay. It’s okay.” Lena had starting wiping away Kara’s big, hot tears, as she pulled the two of them closer, wrapping her other hand around the back of Kara’s neck to steady her.

Kara hadn’t even realized she’d actually started crying. They were slow tears, and she wasn’t overcome by them, but it surprised her nonetheless. Blinking away the wetness from her eyes, she focused on Lena again, giving her a small, watery smile.

“Lena,” the Kryptonian’s voice was scratchy – has she been talking too? “I thought Jess called you back, what are you still doing here?” Kara remembered now, lunch had been lovely, but cut short, as L-Corp urgently needed its CEO.

When Lena looked at her, Kara’s heart warmed at the fondness in her expression before answering, “You never left. You’ve always flown back to work; I didn’t see you blur by in the sky like you usually do.”

She paused, caressing Kara’s face before pushing some loose strands of hair out of her face, tucking them behind her ear. Lena leaned forward then, lightly kissing Kara’s forehead, and then her cheek, before moving her hands again to hold Kara’s face.

“I found you when you’d fallen to the ground, and slightly through it. The noise drew me here, to you. What’s going on? Just how over worked are you?” Lena was still holding Kara’s face, drawing small, comforting circles on her cheeks with her thumbs, as Kara sighed into her further.

“I didn’t think I was, I don’t– I don’t know, I thought, something I was exposed to? I haven’t– this hasn’t– happened. In so long. My ears, I could hear it all, I could see everything, I didn’t have control, Lena”

A fresh round of tears spilled over, dotting her glasses on the way down, before Lena caught them with her thumbs, again. Lena didn’t say anything, didn’t shush her. Instead, she brought Kara’s head to her shoulder, and moved to hold her neck and rub small circles in the space between her shoulder blades.

Kara cried softly, and Lena let her. Lena kept Kara close to her, even as her tears soaked the very nice blouse she was wearing, in the middle of a workday. Lena held Kara as they knelt on the ground in a dusty alleyway, that now had a rather large cracks in the ground, and hand sized holes in one of the walls.

Kara would guess that they’d stayed that way for hours, if she didn’t know it was actually only 7 minutes.

Finally, when it Kara’s tears slowed, Lena spoke, “Kara, when’s the last time you had a break?”

Pulling back, Kara frowned, the crinkle between her eye brows on full display, “I have the weekends off, you know that?” Lena raised an eyebrow, and flicked her gaze at the sky, before looking back to Kara, who sighed, and looked away.

“Supergirl needs a break too, Kara. You’re always saving this city; you’re always defending all us. You, Kara Danvers, deserve to rest. Or this is going to happen again, and I don’t like the idea of it happening somewhere, some _time_ that you won’t be safe when it does.”

Lena was so calm as she spoke, and Kara could hear how much she cared in her voice. It was comforting, everything about Lena put Kara at ease, made her feel safe in a way she shouldn’t need, because she was invulnerable. And yet, Lena was everything Kara wanted, everything she needed in that moment, and every moment since they became friends, long before they’d started going on dates.

Kara agreed, she’d been going on so many Supergirl patrols, she can’t remember the last time she slept longer than 5 hours. She had so much to protect now, everything she ever wanted was in the palm of her hand, and she was so terrified of losing it, she couldn’t relax long enough to really rest.

“I can’t relax, Lena. I can’t let Alex get hurt, I can’t let anything happen to Winn, or to James, or Maggie. Rao, if anything happened to you! I don’t know what I would do, and I know you’re right but I can’t calm down enough to let myself re-charge.” Kara looked at Lena with sad, pleading eyes, hoping she understands what she won’t say. That Lena is so important to Kara that it _hurts_ , and now she’s in even more danger, just by knowing all of Kara the way she does, and loving her for regardless.

“Okay. Then let me take you home. Let me help you, Kara, let me take care of you, how you take care of everyone else, of me. Please.” Lena never asks, she just does. Not in a malicious way, never with Kara. But she does now, because she knows that Kara doesn’t always let people help her when she needs it, but because Lena’s asking, pleading, she might.

And Kara nods, and lets Lena guide her up and out of the alleyway, towards Lena’s car. Lena keeps her arm around Kara, steadying her, keeping her close, because Lena cares too. She cares so much for the Kryptonian, and she’s grateful, to be trusted enough to see Kara like this. Without her confidence, or even her bubbly awkwardness.

They lean on each other in the car, and Kara can finally feel herself relaxing again. Relaxing into Lena, letting her take control, Kara feels safe. That’s all she’s wanted in so long, to feel safe.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lena takes care of Kara

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Someone wanted some Lena taking care of Kara fluff (angst?) so here we are! This might be a bit different than what was expected but I like to think this kind of comfort would suit supercorp well - let me know what you think :)

It turns out, home to Lena meant Kara’s apartment. Kara didn’t mind that one bit.

What had Kara swooning a bit was Lena seemed to know Kara’s apartment as well as she would her own, and seemed equally comfortable padding around, getting this or that for the Kryptonian.

The entire trip home, Lena never strayed out of what one would call Kara’s personal space. Her hand resting on Kara’s thigh, a few inches north of her knee, for the duration of the ride. Lena’s hand, palm-up, extended towards the Kryptonian, waiting to help her out of the car. Her arm wrapped around Kara as they walked, both supporting and possessive in the way her fingers grasped just above Kara’s hip. The chaste, yet sweet, kiss to the blonde’s forehead as Lena took the keys from Kara to open the door to her apartment for her.

Kara loved every second of it.

A faint dusting of a blush covered her cheeks as Lena manuvered Kara onto the couch, cupped her cheeks, and kissed her properly. It was short in nature, but lingered long enough to leave Kara a little breathless.

Pulling away, Lena gave her a warm smile, both soft and knowing, before moving into the kitchen, the unspoken directive that Kara was to stay where Lena put her.

Lena poured both herself and Kara a glass of water, and wordlessly handed one to her, before going back to the kitchen and going about finding all of Kara’s favorite takeout places, and ordering the blonde’s favorite dishes from several of them. Lena smirked at her as she spoke, like she knew how much it made Kara’s heart swell with adoration from the fact that Lena knew her so well.

Kara reveled in this side of Lena. This soft and compassionate, nurturing part of her that Kara knew so few people had ever seen.

Lena was all sharp edges and blunt words in the corporate world. She went straight to the point, never backing down in trying to do what she thought was right. Bending arrogant, aggressive men to her will with an intellect that burned so bright, it was impossible not to be awed by it.

But this, this was specifically for Kara. The look in her eyes when she looked at Kara held no challenge in them. They held mirth at her antics, empathy for the loss of Krypton, adoration when Kara stumbled her way through another ramble, and something deeper. Something Kara would call love.

Kara knew, because she looked at Lena the same way.

The idea of soulmates and perfect matches were fleeting here on Earth. But looking at Lena, Kara felt that maybe not all of the customs on Krypton had died with it.

Putting down her phone, Lena made her way over to Kara, picking up the remote to the TV on the way.

She sat further away than Kara was expecting, and just as she was about to voice her complaint, Lena tugged her by the shoulders, knowing Kara would let herself be moved, until her head was in Lena’s lap.

Looking down at her, Lena broke the comfortable quiet that had settled in the apartment, “The food I’ve ordered should be here in under an hour. We both know you didn’t eat enough at lunch, darling”

The term of endearment never ceased to send butterflies swirling in her stomach, and Kara grinned up at Lena as she said it. “Thank you, Lena, I really appreciate your being here with me.”

Lena returned Kara’s smile with one of her own, “You’re always there for me when I need you, Kara. I’m here for you, too. Always.” The sincerity in her voice warmed Kara to her soul. She loved Lena, so much.

It was then that Kara realized how tired she really was. Now that she actually could relax, she found herself exhausted at everything she’d been doing lately.

The old, yet familiar, feeling of her body being too heavy clawed its way to the surface, as if Kara forgot for a moment how out-of-control she’d felt not even an hour ago. She could feel the effects of her anxiety now, however, and it wasn’t pleasant.

She was drained, and not enough yellow sun lamps in the universe would fix how hollowed out she felt right now.

As if sensing her shifting mood, Lena’s fingers found their way into Kara’s hair. They started stroking through the blond strands, massaging her scalp as they went. It didn’t take away from Kara’s heavy feeling, but it reminded her that she wasn’t alone. Reminded her that Lena was here, and she cared, and Kara could let go, because Lena would catch her as she fell.

They didn’t speak.

Similar to what happened in the alleyway, Lena watched over her as Kara’s head laid in her lap, as silent, tired, tears trailed from her now closed blue eyes.

The brunette kept one hand in Kara’s hair, delicately playing with blonde hair, and held the Kryptonian’s hand with the other. Lena’s hand was positioned so that she could massage circles into Kara’s wrist, right over her pulse.

Lena let Kara cry, but kept her grounded with her hands. Kept her connected to her surroundings just enough not to be pulled back into her own mind. But didn’t try to pacify or distract Kara away from what needed to be felt.

Lena didn’t ask Kara to verbalize what she was feeling, and Kara was grateful.

Lena knew Kara, knew what she needed. Kara needed someone to sit with her in the dark when those Kryptonian walls started to crack. Kara needed someone to be strong for her, even when she didn’t know it.

Kara needed someone to let her bend when the world expected her not to, and to be okay in the presence of that darkness where there was supposed to be light.

Lena knew that this was what Kara needed, and she was going to be that someone for Kara, every and anytime the Krptonian started to bend under the weight of her life.

Lena understood Kara in ways no one, not even Alex, nor Kal, had been able to.

And here, as she sat with Kara, as she watched her tears fade, and felt her body go boneless, watched the rise and fall of her chest even out, Lena knew she would never find anyone that she understood more than Kara.

She would never find anyone that she would _want_ to understand more than Kara. And she wanted to be the only one that could be here, in _these_ moments, with the Kryptonian.

Lena loved Kara. She loved her so much she would follow her so far into the dark that there would be no light at the end of the tunnel. She’d have Kara, and that would be enough.

The brunette never thought she would ever have the chance to be cared for so deeply by another person or being, let alone believing that she would find herself deeply caring _for_ someone this way.

Lena was so profoundly in love with Kara that her own heart ached watching her crumble as she did. But what she loved even more was being the one who Kara allowed to see it. She loved being the one to care of her after, and help build herself back up.

So, Lena sat there, caressing Kara’s head and her hand, counting the slow push and pulls of air from her lungs, watching her eyes flutter as she slept, knowing that someday, she’d promise forever.

She’d promise forever, and every time Kara got sucked into the dark, Lena would be the one to pull her out. Always.


End file.
